A big personal surprise seems to be looming in English football: According to consistent media reports on the island, Jörg Schmadtke is to become the new sports director of Liverpool FC. The newspaper telegraph reported on Saturday evening that the long-time Bundesliga manager at coach Jürgen Klopp’s club was the favorite for the vacant post. Other media reported on concrete negotiations between Liverpool and Schmadtke in the past few days. According to information from Wolfsburg General Newspaper Schmadtke should start at Anfield Road by June 1 at the latest. It still has to be clarified whether he will join Liverpool as a sports director or as a sports consultant. A three-month job from June to the end of August during the summer transfer window seems to be the first option.
Schmadtke, 59, was employed as Managing Director Sport at VfL Wolfsburg from July 2018 until last January. In connection with his farewell there, he had actually declared his long managerial career to be over. “I’ve been doing all this for so long and I’ve realized that it’s time to end this chapter,” he said in parting. “There are other things in life that I would like to do. First and foremost I think of my wife, my family, who had to put back many years.” Now he seems ready for a rethink and a first-time challenge abroad.
Before his time in Wolfsburg, Schmadtke worked as head of sport for Alemannia Aachen, Hannover 96 and 1. FC Köln. He led all clubs as manager in an international competition. But Schmadtke has never worked for a big club like nine-time European Cup winners and 19-time English champions Liverpool. At the LFC, the previous sports director Julian Ward announced his departure at the end of the season last November. Since then, the “Reds” have been looking for a successor. Klopp and Schmadtke may not have worked together before, but they respect each other personally. “He’s a great personality for me,” Klopp said of Schmadtke in January.